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Monday, July 30, 2012

They came to an understanding, or did they ???

You recognize it, of course, because it’s been on 12 billion Facebook
walls along with its story: A bullfighter suddenly comes to a moral
crossroads, the realization that his chosen profession is cruel and
vicious, something he can no longer abide. And thus, mid-bullfight, he
sits on the edge of the ring, an apparently forgiving bull standing
before him, the former foe now a sympathetic ally.

This, appropriately, is bullshit.

Let’s think about this–which is something people haven’t been doing
before slapping this photo and the sappy story tagged to it on their
walls. First off, can you, as a rational, critical-thinking person,
honestly believe that in the very moment a bullfighter is suddenly
overcome with remorse for his chosen profession, the bull he’s been
working toward killing, most likely half-crazed with a pain-inflicted
fight response, is going to look at the guy sitting there in his
despondence and think, in cow-thought language, “He appears to be coming
to a decision of some great importance. He probably needs some time
alone with his thoughts. I’ll just stand here passively.”?

No. That six-hundred-pound goring machine would smell the
moment of weakness, seize it and put one of those nasty horns right
through that guy’s spleen and laugh about it.

But let’s give it the benefit of the doubt, and say that the bull in
question is in touch with his feelings. Let’s consider the bullfighter.
Let’s say that, as in the case of Álvaro Múnera, the torero who
is misidentified in the photo above, you have been a bullfighter since
you were 14. You understand the bull and you understand how bulls act
when you’re busily plunging swords into them while wearing painfully
tight pants. You know–indeed, it’s been drilled into you–that you’re
standing toe to toe with a fucking killing machine, the very species
that has taken out people in your position because they slipped up for
about the space of a heartbeat, if that. Given that, do you
think that when your career-devastating moment of moral clarity hits you
like a veritable bolt from the blue, you’d sit down three feet away
from this murderous steak with a bad attitude? No. You might stop, yes.
Perhaps you would leave the arena. You can do that. But would you sit down and give Mr. Angry Cow a free shot? Not unless along with your moment of clarity you also asked for a side order of suicidal.

So, no, what we are seeing here in not bullfighter and bull having a metaphysical moment of simpatico.
It’s better than that. Because the truth of this captured moment
highlights how people have just flung themselves bodily onto this
bandwagon of pure manure and inflicted a wealth of disinformation on
their friends.

See, what the bullfighter is actually doing is called desplante. This is a thing
that they do in bullfighting. It’s part of the show. The bullfighter
sits on the rail to show his disregard for and dominance over the bull.
Now, we should all be able to agree that when you decide to be a dick to
a bull, the bull has no actual understanding what you’re doing. It
doesn’t think, “Wow, is he ignoring me? Is he actually pretending I’m
not even here?” No, it does not. I would imagine what it thinks is more
along the lines of “moo.” The bull doesn’t care that you’re being a
dick. So you’re just showing off for the audience. If the bull makes a
move on you, bam, you’re over your mock despondence and jamming another pointy thing into its baby backs.

The only shred of truth in this ever-so-overshared photo is that
Munera did, in fact, become an activist crusading against bullfighting.
You know, 150 or so dead bulls and a crippling accident later. Oh,
wait–did the story under the photo not mention that Munera quit after
being gored and left paraplegic? Of course it didn’t. That would just
ruin the narrative. And just to fire one more nail into this thing, that
quote that runs with the picture, the one about him looking into the
bull’s eyes? Also not from Munera. That was writer Antonio Gala, who is
not, nor has he ever been, a bullfighter.

Boy-wonder Mathias elevated decathlonSports
are filled with true-life fairy tales, stories that are more amazing
than fiction. But even accepting that premise, the rise of Bob Mathias
almost defies belief.

One
day the 17-year-old Californian is a regional prep star. A few months
later, he's a national hero. Before 1948, Mathias had never participated
in a decathlon. That summer in London, he won the Olympic gold medal in
the grueling 10-event competition.

Quite
an accomplishment for anybody, but especially for someone who suffered
from anemia in early childhood and had to live on special diets, pop
iron pills, and take frequent naps to conserve his strength. He also
suffered from the typical childhood illnesses -- chicken pox, measles,
whooping cough and scarlet fever.

Mathias
overcame all and became a high school track star in, among other
events, the discus, shot put, high hurdles, high jump and sprints. For a
new challenge his coach suggested that Mathias expand his versatility
and compete in the decathlon.

If
ever a coaching suggestion hit the target, this was it. Mathias became
the youngest men's winner of a track and field event in the history of
the Olympics in 1948 and four years later he became the first to win
consecutive Olympic decathlons. Unbeaten in 11 decathlons in his career,
he won four national AAU championships and three times set world
records.

New Stadium for the 49ers

The plan for a luxury hotel, sports bar and entertainment complex on
two parcels of city-owned land bordering the site of the planned
68,500-seat stadium are out. Former 49ers great Joe Montana and ex-owner
Eddie DeBartolo Jr. are participating in the efforts for the stadium
and the entertainment complex for Santa Clara. Plans are aiming at
finishing the stadium for the 2015 season.

Jamie Matthews, a City Council member who will become the new mayor
of the city was excited about these efforts and what his town’s image
will gain from this $937 million stadium construction. “This is an
absolutely perfect fit for what we would like to see develop around the
stadium as a supporting use, and having the cachet of Joe Montana raises
the stakes for this being a destination.”

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Walk in the footsteps of giants

Volcanic crashing and burning
starting sixty million years ago led to the formation of the Giant's
Causeway, a coastline that has inspired artists and photographers,
stirred debate amongst scientists and captivated the imagination of
locals and visitors for centuries. Made up of around 38,000 basalt
columns that stretch out to sea, the formation of this otherworldly
landscape can be explained by science. Locals, however, have their own story to tell.

They
say the Giant's Causeway was the stomping ground of giant Finn McCool,
who lived in these parts nearly two thousand years ago. How else can you
explain the Chimney stacks that mark his house? The Organ he built for
his muscial son Oisín? Or the giant boot he left on the shore?

Discover
the story for yourself. Come to the Giant's Causeway Visitor Experience
which opened 3 July 2012 and explore the science, myth and legends that
surround the Giant's Causeway.

Home of the Week | Manhattan Beach

Five years in the making, this custom Mediterranean takes advantage
of ocean views from its perch in Manhattan Beach's Hill Section.
Designed for indoor-outdoor entertaining, it also features a swimming
pool, a two-story pool house with a game room and an outdoor kitchen
with grill.

About the area: In
the first quarter, 65 single-family homes sold in the 90266 ZIP Code at
a median price of $1.425 million, according to DataQuick. The median
price was unchanged from the first quarter of last year.

Alex Honnold is considered one of the most fearless (and consistently solid)
climbers on the planet.—in a "60 Minutes" segment (air date
10/2/11), he free-soloed the face of Sentinel in Yosemite while the
cameras rolled—but when asked why, or to explain this
difficult-to-understand activity he loves, he's a bit mystified. Sure,
he likes the adrenaline, but that admission comes only after some
prodding. The sense is that behind his big, deep brown eyes and humble
personality ("Most people know me for my free soloing," he says, "but I
actually solo pretty infrequently. I spend most of my time traveling
around and climbing things with a rope on. I didn't start really
climbing outdoors till six years ago.") is a fire he'd rather enjoy than
analyze.

Mike O'Hara, far right, with partner Mike Bright, pose with
Miss California after winning their first Manhattan Beach Open
tournament against another beach legend, Gene Selznick, second from
left, and Mike Higer.

Never resting on the five plaques that are still on the Manhattan
Beach pier to commemorate his historic run from 1960-64 with partner Mike Bright ("he
was a surfer dude who could really jump"), O'Hara's post-beach resume
after winning 38 open championships in the sand took him from coach and
referee to broadcaster, commissioner and consultant.

BUENOS AIRES -- Exalted in countless books, a Broadway musical and a
Madonna movie, Argentina’s Eva Peron now graces that country’s 100-peso
note in commemoration of her death 60 years ago Thursday.
In a ceremony, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said she
wants the Eva Peron commemorative peso note to become permanent,
replacing one featuring Julio Argentino Roca, one of the country's early
presidents.

“It seems to me to be an homage that we owe not only to her but to
ourselves,” Fernandez told a gathering Wednesday at the presidential
palace.

In the background was an enlarged facsimile of the bill, featuring a
profile shot of the blond former dancer popularly known as Evita. She
was the wife of President Juan Peron, who ruled from 1946 to 1955, and
then again for nine months prior to his death in 1974.

Jack Davis, who died last week at 81, won 37 races in a row and held the world record in the 110-meter hurdles at 13.4 seconds. Davis had identical times as the gold
medalists in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games
but was judged to be slightly behind.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Indian rollerskater goes LOW in amazing limbo stunt

ndia's Rohan
Ajit Kokane, 11, already a Guinness record holder, flattened himself to
cruise under a horizontal pole just 6.75 inches from the ground in an
amazing feat that was captured on camera at a Hong Kong mall event.

Salinas is the county seat and largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located 10 miles (16 km) east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River,[3] at an elevation of about 52 feet (16 m) above sea level.[2] The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census. The mostly suburban city is located at the mouth of the Salinas Valley roughly eight miles from the Pacific Ocean
and has a mild climate. The city consists mostly of late 20th century
single family homes, some low-level apartments, ranging from modest
bungalows to spacious luxury homes. The climate is ideal for the floral
industry and grape vineyards planted by world-famous vintners. Salinas
is an agricultural center and the hometown of writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate John Steinbeck, who based several of his novels there, including Of Mice and Men. The Steinbeck House (above) is in downtown Salinas.

Wayfarer's Chapel is
one of the most historic places in Rancho Palos Verdes. Located in
Portuguese Bend on Palos Verdes Drive South, the Chapel-also know as the
"Glass Church," was built in 1951. Wayfarer's Chapel offers a unique
small wedding venue with natural landscaping.

This
professional working environment is within walking distance from best
shopping and dining destinations. Ideally located, the executive suites
are situated in the distinguished Beverly Hills Triangle, corner
Wilshire and Roxbury Drive. Clients will have access to professional
on-site manager, individual offices and mini suites, T-1 internet,
personalized answering devices and voice mail, reception services, and
conference rooms among others

Southern California lifeguard towers are iconic images. These towers are
located in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance
Beach and Palos Verdes. The photographs combine newer and classic
images. The brightly colored towers were painted as part of the ‘Summer
of Color’ exhibition, which was the largest public works exhibit in the
United States. Towers from Malibu to San Pedro were painted as part of a
project by Portraits of Hope to involve young people in public works
projects. For more information, click on this link. http://www.portraitsofhope.org/about/index.php

Interstellar space travel may may be possible using lasers and antimatter

While interstellar journeys have been explored by researchers, one
type of mission has not received much attention, namely the interstellar
rendezvous and return mission that could be accomplished on timescales
comparable with a working scientist's career.

Such a mission would involve an initial boost phase followed by a
coasting phase to the target star system. Next would be the deceleration
and rendezvous phase, which would be followed by a period of scientific
data gathering.

Finally, there would be a second boost phase, aimed at returning the
spacecraft back to the solar system, and subsequent coasting and
deceleration phases upon return to our solar system.

Such a mission would represent a precursor to a future manned
interstellar mission; which in principle could safely return any
astronauts back to Earth.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Many Catalina visitors have wondered about the mansion high on the hill above Avalon Bay

William Wrigley, Jr. bought 99% of Catalina Island
in 1919. He chose the setting for his new home on Mt. Ada (named after
his wife, Ada) because it received first sunlight in the morning and the
last rays at sunset. The Inn is 350 feet above the town and harbor. The
building of the Wrigley's home was started in 1920 and completed in
1921. The couple enjoyed their home together through January 1932, when
Mr. Wrigley died. Mrs. Wrigley continued to visit until 1947, when she
suffered a stroke and lingered in a coma in Pasadena for 11 years. She
died in 1958. From 1921 to 1932, the Wrigley's entertained a number of
famous guests at their island home, including Presidents Calvin
Coolidge, Warren Harding, and the Prince of Wales.

Mr. Wrigley also owned the Chicago Cubs professional baseball team, and
invited them to hold their spring training on the island. Following Mrs.
Wrigley's death, the home was owned by the Santa Catalina Island
Company and used as a tourist attraction. In the 1970's, the home was
given to the University of Southern California to be used as a
conference center. In 1985, the present innkeepers secured a long-term
lease of the property and created the successful business known today as
The Inn on Mt. Ada. For the past 18 years in a row, the Inn has been
awarded the Mobil Travel Guide 4-Star rating, a rating awarded to only
the top 2% of lodging properties in the entire US & Canada.

David Strick took his camera on the set of “The Green Hornet” and came back with a revealing photo collection that shows the toil and tedium that go into the creation of a modern box-office hero. Shown above is Jay Chou as Kato.

Where will he go next, this phantom from another time, this
resurrected ghost of a previous nightmare - Chicago; Los Angeles; Miami,
Florida; Vincennes, Indiana; Syracuse, New York? Anyplace, everyplace,
where there's hate, where there's prejudice, where there's bigotry. He's
alive. He's alive so long as these evils exist. Remember that when he
comes to your town. Remember it when you hear his voice speaking out
through others. Remember it when you hear a name called, a minority
attacked, any blind, unreasoning assault on a people or any human being.
He's alive because through these things we keep him alive.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

"Liza's at the
Palace…(was)!"

Liza Minnelli, the Oscar-, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning
singer-dancer-actress and sometimes tabloid news staple, returned to
Broadway in 2008 after an absence of nearly 10 years. Critics were
quite forgiving of any apparent shortcomings in "Liza's at the
Palace…!," which ran through Dec. 28 at the Palace Theatre in New York.
In fact, many seemed to shower the love on the legendary 62-year-old
entertainer.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

A rolling wave crashes into droplets of rainbows behind a surfer. Four to seven foot waves curled at the Manhattan Beach Pier on a
73-degree day last Thursday, and photographer Mara Laine was able to
capture the rainbow clinging to the surf, as well as the up-and-coming
surfer Natalie Anzivino. A spectacular photo by Mara Laine

By now you probably know that LED bulbs are the wave of the future,
but we just came across an update that makes them even more
technologically advanced – the world’s first LED light that can be
remote-controlled right from your smartphone! INSTEON, a home automation
manufacturer, just debuted their high-tech new bulb
and demonstrated how it can be turned on, off and dimmed with as many
controllers as you want – including your smartphone and tablet.

During the famous San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, bulls will be released into the streets and couragous reckless young men will try to run with them. The trick, I’ve been told, is to not get in their way since when thebulls start, almost nothing can stop their herd mentality to just keep running.

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank announced yesterday that he
was so inspired by the story and photos of two American brothers gored
during the Running of The Bulls in Pamplona, Spain yesterday that he
plans to participate next year.

“I thought this whole event was simply a testosterone-laden macho
spectacle,” said Frank, “but clearly, there’s…uh…more going on here.
Something deeper, more penetrating. I can’t quite put my finger on it,
but I believe by experiencing the event first hand, I’ll be better able
to articulate it.”

About Me

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you will find it interesting. "This and That and More of the Same" strives to show images that are striking along with intriguing human interest stories. The "Memories" blog displays images of family while "Why Ask For the Moon When We Have the Stars" is devoted to friends.